


Cough Syrup

by aliceihavebeen



Series: Tread Lightly [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Best Bro Lance, Eventual Keith/Shiro (Voltron), M/M, Mild Angst, Trapped In Elevator, implied allurance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-04 05:52:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16340996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliceihavebeen/pseuds/aliceihavebeen
Summary: Lance and Keith get stuck in a broken elevator and Keith realizes that Lance is annoyingly insightful. Doesn't make the truth any easier to swallow.“Then I’d die trying to save them both.”“One, that’s cheating. And two, it sounds like you’re trying to avoid answering the question honestly.”“I…” Keith started, staring down at his feet. He was stalling. He knew exactly who he would pick the second Lance asked.Can be read as stand alone.





	Cough Syrup

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second installment, but it can be read as its own story. It's short, but one of my favorite to write honestly. I wrote most of these out of order, and I remember when I wrote this one it was during my lunch break. I got the idea as I was driving home and proceeded to spend my entire lunch hour on the patio penning this out.  
> It was inspired by the song "Cough Syrup" by Young the Giant

_If I could find a way to see this straight, I'd run away_  
_To some fortune that I, I should have found by now_  
_I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down, come down (Young the Giant)_

“If I had to choose between saving you, or saving Allura, just know I’d choose Allura everytime.”

“What the fuck Lance?”

“Look, you’re my best friend and all but Allura’s the love of my life.” Lance said with a shrug.

“Seriously, why are we even talking about this?” Keith asked with a frustrated groan.

“Because by my best guess it’ll at least be another hour until they can get this elevator running again. Why not do some best friend bonding?” Lance said.

Lance picked something shiny up off the carpet before sniffing it and flicking it in Keith’s direction.

“And you telling me that you'd let me die is how you do this?” Keith said shaking his head. They sat in their respective opposing corners.

“Who would you pick?” Lance asked with a grin.

“Allura.” Keith deadpanned.

“Hey!” Lance shrieked. Keith grinned.

“What, you chose her over me.” Keith said with a shrug.

“That’s because she’s my girlfriend and I love her!” Lance said, flailing around.

“Okay, okay.” Keith said. “I guess I’d pick you. Reluctantly.”

“And let the love of my life die?!” Lance said dramatically.

“Is this the Kobayashi Maru or something?” Keith said with a sigh.

“No. Well, yes. Kind of.” Lance said, scratching at his head. He was quiet for several minutes, staring down at the short fibers of the carpet.

“What if you had to choose between Axha and Shiro?” Lance finally said softly. Keith blinked back surprise.

“What?” Keith asked, his voice sounding like he’d had the wind knocked out of him.

“You heard me. Axha or Shiro?”

“I’d find a way to save them both.”

“Nope. You can’t do that. You can only save one.”

“Then I’d die trying to save them both.”

“One, that’s cheating. And two, it sounds like you’re trying to avoid answering the question honestly.”

“I…” Keith started, staring down at his feet. He was stalling. He knew exactly who he would pick the second Lance asked.

“Shiro.” Keith said at a near whisper, refusing to look up. “I’d pick Shiro. Everytime.”

They sat in silence at that revelation for a moment.

“I figured.” Lance said calmly.

“Then why the fuck did you ask?” Keith was starting to get pissed.

“Because you needed to hear yourself say it.”

“What the fuck do you mean?”

“I mean exactly what I just said. You and Axha have been an item for what, a couple of months? And I get it. She’s hot and you both have the whole romantic ‘thanks for not killing me when you had the chance’ thing going on. But do you really love her? Do you love her the way you love Shiro?”

“Of course not, that’s different. Shiro is like my brother.”

“Okay well I have brothers, and I can tell you right now the thing between you two, it’s more than that.”

“Lance, what are you getting at?” Keith asked, sounding continuously more annoyed.

“You can get as pissy as you like, but…” Lance paused. “I’m like your best friend. We spent years together as the ‘Paladins of Voltron’” Lance said with air quotes, making Keith snort.

“And we’ve all grown and changed a lot. You, scientifically speaking, more so than the rest of us," Lance continued. "And if you’d take a step back you’d see what I see. You’d travel the universe for him, and have. And we both know he’d do the same for you. You two have always had this bond that none of us could ever put into words. I think you two were brothers when all this started, but I think it’s more than that now. And I think you know it too. It just scares you. I mean, I get it, it’d scare me too. But Shiro’s the one you’d risk it all for, not Axha. And I think she deserves to know that. Shiro deserves to know that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Pt.3 Move On Preview:  
> “Don’t know.” Lance said nonchalantly. Too nonchalantly.  
> Shiro rolled out from under the bike and gave Lance a look.  
> “Are you messing with me?” He asked, sitting up and watching Lance like a hawk.  
> “What?” Lance yelled, his voice going up one too many octaves. “Are you saying I’m lying about them breaking up? Why would I lie about them breaking up?!”


End file.
